Attachment for vehicles.



7 PATENTED JULY 2, 1907 c. momwrom. ATTACHMENT FOR VEHIGLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. 1906.

' n12 Ndlmls PETERS ca, w/Asumaron, a c.

CHARLES C. CRAWFORD, OF WARSAW, ILLINOIS.

ATTAGI-DVIENT FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed March 12, 1906. Serial No. 305,461.

Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specifica tion.

' is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, the rod,

My invention relates to attachments for vehicles for preventinginterference of the pole or thill ends with the driving reins leadingfrom the horse or other animals to the driver.

As is well known, the driving reins are apt to be caught below the poleor thill ends and my invention contemplates the use of a guard rodextending about the front of the horse from the thill or pole ends, theends of the rod being adapted for separable engagement in improvedclamping members which are preferably permanently secured to the pole orthill ends. After the horse has been hitched up, the guard rod ends areslipped into the clamping members and the rods then extend from thethill orpole ends about the front of the horse, thereby preventing thereins from falling below the pole or thill ends and being caughtthereby. I

My invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure 1 shows the thills of the vehicle to which myinvention is applied, the outlines of a horse being shown in dottedlines. Fig. 2 is an elevation view of one of the clamping membersshowing the end of the rod in position therein. Fig. 3 is a top view ofFig. 2. Fig. 4

however, being shown in full. Fig. 5 is a sectional view take non line55 of Fig. 4, and Figs. 6 and 7 show modified clamping arrangements forsecuring the clamping members in position.

Each clamping member is in the form of a comparatively hollow casting orpunching having an archshaped body part 1 and end walls 2 and 3 havingthe openings 4 and 5 for receiving the ends of the bowshaped guard rod6. Lugs 7 and 8 also extend from the ends of the frame and are providedwith screw holes for receiving screws which are to secure the frames inplace. As shown in Fig. 1, the clamping frames are preferably secured atthe ends of the thill rods 9 and 10. After the horse has been hitchedup, the ends of the guard rod 6 are slipped through the openings of theframes and this guard rod then extends over the ends of the thills toprevent the reins from falling under and being caught by the thill ends.

To hold the guard rod in position I preferably provide friction clampingmeans within the frame, and in Fig. 4 I show spring means for providingfrictional engagem'ent, a spring 11 engaging in recesses 12 and 13 atthe ends of the frame and having an offset part 14 at an in termediarypoint. When the ends of the guard rod are slipped into the frames theoffsets of the springs bear against the thill surface and the rod endsare clamped between the spring and the tops of the clamping frames, andthe guard rod is thus prevented from escape, although it may readily bepulled out when desired.

Instead of using screws for securing the frames in position, otherclamping means may be used, as shown in Fig. 6, comprising the straps 15and 16 engaging about the thill or pole and engaged at their ends by theclamping screw 17 Another way of securing the clamping frames may bethat shown in Fig. 7, in which one extension 7 is extended toform a ringor ferrule 18 which slips over and encircles the front of the thill, theframe being then held in position by the screw passing through the rearextension 8. This extension 18 may be also a cap for engaging the frontend of the thill. Many other means, however, may be used for securingthe clamping frames in position.

Although my invention is described and shown as applied to thills, itmay be applied with equal advantage to poles, such as the two poles of athree horse vehicle, or the like.

Other changes may also readily be made without departing from the scopeof my invention, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to thearrangement herein shown and described. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Ina device of the class described, the combination with an adjustablebow-shaped guard rod for extending from and between the ends of poles orthills of a vehicle, of clamping members secured to the pole or thillends in which the guard rod ends are separahly clamped in any adjustedposition.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with anadjustable guard rod extending from and between the ends of thills orpoles of a vehicle, of clamping members secured to the thill or poleends, said clamping members having longitudinal passageways forreceiving the ends of the guard rod, and clamping means engaging inrecesses in said clamping members for clamping the ends of the guardrods.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with anadjustable guard rod extending from and between the ends of thills orpoles of a vehicle, of clamping members secured to the thill or poleends, said clamping members having longitudinal passageways forreceiving the ends of the guard rod, and clamping means within theclamping members for engaging the ends of the guard rod and holding saidrod in any adjusted position.

4. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with anadjustable guard frame in the form of a bowshaped rod of uniformdiameter, of clamping members secured to the ends of the thills or polesof a vehicle, the ends of said guard frame passing through said clampingmembers.

5. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with anadjustable guard frame in the form of a howshaped rod of uniform crosssection throughout, of members secured to the ends of the thills orpoles of a vehicle for receiving the ends of the rod, and clamping meanswithin the members for holding the frame in position.

6. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a guardframe in the form of a bow-shaped rod, of members secured to the ends ofthe thills or poles of a vehicle for receiving the ends of the rod, andfrictional clamping means engaging in recesses within the members forholding the guard frame ends within the members.

7. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with anadjustable guard frame in the form of a bowshaped red, the ends of saidrod extending longitudinal with the ends of the thills or poles of avehicle, members secured to the ends of the thills or poles throughwhich the ends of the guard frame pass, and a spring having an offsetand engaging; at its ends in recesses within the me1nbers and havingfrictional engagement with the frame ends for securing said frame to themembers.

8. A device for preventing interference of thill or pole ends with thedriving reins leading to the animal drawing a vehicle comprising membersto be secured to the front ends of the thills or poles, and a guardframe in the form of a bow-shaped rod for engaging at its ends in saidmembers, said guard frame having adjustable engagement thereto.

5). A device for preventing interference of thill or pole ends with thedriving reins leading to the animal drawing a vehicle comprising membersto be secured to the front ends of the thills or poles, and anadjustable guard frame in the form of a bowshaped rod for engaging atits ends in said members, said guard frame being prevented fromescapement from said members and in frictional engagement therewith.

10. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with anadjustable guard frame in the form of a bowshaped rod of uniformcross-section, of members secured to the ends of the thills or poles ofthe vehicle, said members being in the form of hollow frames forreceiving the ends of the guard frame, and spring clamping means withinthe frames for clamping the guard frame ends therein.

11. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a guardframe in the form of a bowshaped rod,

of members secured to the ends of the thills or poles of the vehicle,said members being in the form of hollow frames for receiving the endsof the guard frame, and spring friction mechanism within the frames foradjustably holding the guard rod ends in frictional engagement. with theframes.

12. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with anadjustable guard frame in the form of a how shaped rod, of memberssecured to the ends of the thills or, poles of the vehicle, said membersbeing in the form of hollow frames for receiving the ends of the guardframe said hollow frames having recesses, and spring clamping meanswithin the frames engagin" in said recesses for holding the guard rodends in fr ional engagement: with the frames.

13. In mechanism of the class described, the combina tion with a guardframe in the form of a bow-shaped rod of approximately the samecross-section throughout, of members secured to the ends of the thillsor poles of the vehicle, said members being in the form of hollow framesfor receiving the ends of the guard frame, and a spri within each of thehollow frames, said spring haying oti'set at an intermediary point andengaging by its ends in recesses within said frames, said springs andframes forming means for holding the guard frame in any ad justedposition.

1- In mechanism of the class described, the combination with anadjustable guard frame in the form of a bow shaped rod, of memberssecured near the ends of the thills or poles of a vehicle, said membersbeing in the form of hollow castings for receiving the ends of the guardframe, and spring mechanism within each of the hollow franu-s, saidspring mechanism having a. bent portion bearing against the thill orpole thereby forming greater frirtional engagement between said hollowframes and said guard frame.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of MarchA. 1)., 1900.

CIIARLlS C. (ZItiUYI OlH).

illl

\Yitnes. cs

.I. \V. BERLIN, I \V. II. Hinm-ni.

titl

